Patisserie Religieuse
These wonderful little religious cakes called Patisserie Religieuse in France, are made of choux pastry. They are really just cream puffs, consisting of one larger puff on the bottom with a smaller one on the top. A layer or two of whipped cream in-between the puffs with icing created with the flavor and color of the bakers choice, and strategic drizzling of ganache. They are sometimes described as looking like "plump" nuns!
However, this is home cooking and so we will be forgiven for not being quite as professional as the great chefs, but I can assure you they will be absolutely gorgeous to eat.
The name Religieuse originally came from the violet color of the Cardinal's robes. Today they are often made in pink with rose flavored icing and whip cream filling, chocolate flavored, coffee flavor or anything you like.
If you have seen them in the shops in Paris you will know how gorgeous they are.
You have probably seen eclairs in bake shops and these luscious cream puffs are the same wonderful taste, just dressed differently.
Additional Pastry Recipes To Revel In
📖 Recipe
Religieuse Cakes
Ingredients
Make These First
- Choux pastry link to recipe below
- Creme Patisserie link to recipe below
For The Icing
- icing sugar
- a little water
- flavorings of your choice: chocolate powder or melted chocolate pieces cooled coffee or instant coffee powder, almond and/or vanilla extract, fruit flavor from fruit liquors, caramel flavor from caramel sauce thickened with icing sugar.
Instructions
- Make the pastry cream filling called Creme Patisserie in French, first to let it cool before using.
- Then make your choux pastry.
- When you have made your choux pastry, spoon it out onto a buttered baking tray and bake until golden brown as in the recipe for the choux pastry.
- Make some bigger and some smaller for the tops. Perhaps using a dessert spoon for the bottoms and a teaspoon for the tops.
- When they have been made, allow to cool before filling your creme patisserie with the flavor of your choice.
- When the crème patisserie has cooled down, flavor it with a few drops of rose water and a drop of pink coloring and simply fill your puffs with the cream, or use whatever flavoring you like.
- If using chocolate flavor you can add cocoa powder or melted dark chocolate.
- For the coffee, make some coffee and allow to go cold. Add this to your cream filling.
- For the icing simply add your flavor and color to some icing sugar with a few drops of water. Mix until you have the right consistency which should be nice and thick but not too dry as you need to either spread it on your buns, or dip your buns in it or drizzle it on your buns.
- When it has set, pipe some icing between the two buns.
- When the icing has dried your lovely Religious cakes are ready to eat!
If you tried this recipe please let us know.